Clapton 4-3 Bridon Ropes - We've had some very promising moments, says Gary Lisney

CLAPTON  4-3  BRIDON ROPES
Pre-Season Friendly
Thursday 31^st July 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from The Old Spotted Dog

BRIDON ROPES manager Gary Lisney says their defeat at Essex Senior League Clapton was worthwhile ahead of their Kent Invicta League opener at Lydd Town on Saturday week.

However, this pre-season friendly at The Old Spotted Dog ground in east London was marred by controversial political chanting by a group of vocal home fans.

Bridon Ropes – who finished in 12^th place in the Kent Invicta League and won the London Senior Trophy last season – took an early lead through a headed own-goal by Clapton defender Bogdan Idu.

But a mistake from Bridon Ropes goalkeeper Jack Turner gifted nippy striker Fahad Nyanja an equaliser before the break.

The Charlton-based side regained the lead six minutes into the second half through George Maddock’s excellent chip, but the lead didn’t last long as the impressive Eduardo Quitirna drilled home on a counter-attack.

Bridon Ropes regained the lead for a third time through striker Chesney Onuoha, before Clapton scored twice in the last fourteen minutes through a free-kick from substitute James Briggs and Frankie Sinclair’s close range finish.

“Good work-out. Good run-out.  A bit of an old cliché, I’m sure every manager tells you it’s not about results,” said Lisney afterwards.

“Winning’s good. Getting into winning habits is good, but not important.  No points were available tonight. It’s about getting players a run-out, have a look at, I think five or six players we’ve never seen before.  We’ve had a lot of interest.

“It’s good to give some players who are part of the squad a lot of minutes under their belt. All in all, a worthwhile evening.”

The playing surface was embarrassingly poor with the ball bobbling along a dusty pitch and with the home fans drinking from cans of lager purchased from outside the ground, it proved to be an intimidating atmosphere for the visitors’.

“We’ve played Clapton tonight and with the greatest respect we’ll have a better pitch than they’ve got,” said Lisney.

“It was a tough pitch but we’re going to have that throughout the season as well.  We’re not going to play on a carpet week-in-week-out, even at home, as nice as it’s looking now.

“We’ll have bad weather and we’ll be playing on all pitches like Clapton at some point during the season be it at Christmas, around Christmas or whatever.

“That’s what they’ve got to deal with. It’s about players’ making the right decisions in the right circumstances and the surface does come into that.”

Bridon Ropes created the first chance inside the opening seven minutes when Maddocks’ swung in a corner from the right, which was headed away at the near post and Mark Allen sent his right-footed hooked volley sailing over the bar from 22-yards.

Maddocks whipped in his second corner from the right and Sam Fullilove came up from the back and planted his towering header narrowly over the crossbar from six-yards.

Bridon Ropes deservedly opened the scoring inside fifteen minutes.

Impressive striker Onuoha was released down the right and after getting the better of left-back Luke Kanjor whipped in a cross towards the near post where Idu planted his header into the top corner of his own net.

Lisney said: “Partly good play.  Their full-back done enough to have a poke off the ball which the referee didn’t think he was making inroads into the box, which he was.

“Own goals happen. It’s a fact of life I’m afraid.”

When asked about Onuoha’s background, Lisney replied: “I haven’t got a clue! Not at the top of my head! I don’t know where he’s been but he’s got something about him. He’s got some pace. He needs to work a bit harder frankly but we’ll get there.”

Clapton’s opening chance fell to Nyanja, who hit a right-footed drive on the turn from 35-yards, which sailed harmlessly over Turner’s crossbar.

Bridon Ropes were trying their hardest to play a passing game but the poor pitch was proving difficult.

Clapton grabbed an equaliser six minutes before the break and Lisney refused to point the finger of blame to keeper Turner.

Clapton right-back Jake Stevens whipped in a deep cross into the penalty area where Turner came rushing off his line and failed to connect with the ball and the diminutive Nyanja looped his header into the far corner of an empty goal.

“It’s the goalkeeper’s lot for you,” said Lisney.

“It could’ve ended up at penalties, a cup semi-final and he makes a save that gets you through to the final and he’s the hero.  Goalkeeper’s are heroes or zeroes. Every player on that pitch makes mistakes. Unfortunately when a goalkeeper makes one (it’s highlighted).

“He’s a young lad just to add. Actually to have the confidence to come for things, ok, he didn’t get there, but to have the confidence to come for things, is preferred than being rooted to the goal-line.”

Clapton went close to going into the interval in the lead but Turner made amends when he dived to his left to turn Frankie Sinclair’s right-footed free-kick from 35-yards around the post.

The second half, meanwhile, turned into a goal frenzy.

Bridon Ropes took the lead again within six minutes through a quality 25-yard chip from Maddocks, which dropped over the goalkeeper and landed in the middle of an empty net.

Lisney hailed the quality strike by saying, “Brilliant goal! Pure quality, pure quality!

“George hasn’t played a whole lot of games for us pre-season, or a whole lot of minutes, not in his preferred position, which was where he was playing tonight which was left-wing.

“He’s done well. What can I say? A very good, quality goal!”

But the lead lasted only a couple of minutes as a long ball over the top caught Bridon Ropes’ left-back Michael Johnson asleep and substitute Quitirna raced forward to drill an angled shot past substitute goalkeeper Bertrand Campy into the bottom near corner.

“We did speak before the game with the tendency to get beat by diagonal balls over the top,” said Lisney.

“We defended against that type of ball really well for the majority of the time but as we were saying about the goalkeeper everyone makes mistakes. You only have to switch off for a second, the ball goes over the top, a 50-50 race, their fella gets there and puts it away well.”

Lisney revealed that he has offered the French goalkeeper a second chance.

“I do know what his background is because I’ve got it on email but I can’t remember on the top of my head,” said the former Fisher manager.

“He’s working and living in east London. He’s had a look around The FA website to see what clubs might be out there and available.  He got in touch with me by email. I invited him round to have a game and he played 45 minutes.

“It was difficult for him first 10-15 minutes. He doesn’t know anyone. He’s never met anyone. The only person who he’s met before the game is the manager because he was late and I knew he was going to be late and he went on to play 45 minutes.  That’s very difficult.

“The opportunity is for him to play again and we’ll have another look, maybe a little longer, maybe 45 minutes and then we’ll make a decision about how he might fit in or not.”

Clapton’s pace up front was causing Bridon Ropes’ tiring defence problems and Quitirna skipped past Charlie Hopwood before flashing his right-footed shot past the far post.

But Bridon Ropes should have scored on the hour mark when Onuoha nipped past his marker and slotted his shot agonisingly wide of the post as goalkeeper Sam Haywood came rushing off his line.

“Oh well,” said Lisney.  “It’s no different than any other position on the pitch. Sometimes you’re the hero, sometimes you’re not.  Go home and watch Match of the Day and you’ll see players who are on 20 grand a week or 20 grand a minute (miss those chances).”

Bridon Ropes’ right-back and skipper Ollie Hickman clipped the ball down the line for winger Allen, who lifted the ball over his marker before sending his chip just over the crossbar.

Campy made a smart save diving to his left to deny the impressive Quitirna scoring after he was released down the left channel.

Bridon Ropes edged in front with 68 minutes on the clock through Onuoha, who rolled his left-footed shot across keeper Haywood, the ball nestling into the bottom far corner.

Lisney may have found an uncut gem in the striker.

“He’s a good player. He will score goals. He’s scored a few pre-season now.  I don’t know what his total is so far.  He’s got a little bit about him and he’s got a little bit of composure and he can put the ball away, which is good.”

Clapton upped their game following the second drinks break and put Bridon on the ropes for the remainder of the game.

Substitute Geoff Ocran drilled a right-footed shot from 22-yards, which forced Campy into making a smart save to his right to push the shot around the post.

Quitirna whipped in the resulting corner from the left which Nyanja headed straight into the keeper’s arms.

Briggs issued Bridon Ropes a warning with a dipping right-footed drive from 25-yards, which Campy fell to his knees to prevent the ball creeping into the bottom right-hand corner.

But Campy could not prevent Briggs finding his range in the 76^th minute, stroking his right-footed free-kick into the bottom right-hand corner from similar distance.

Lisney said: “Never a free-kick in a million years but there you go, these things happen!

“Referees are no different from players, they make mistakes and it wasn’t a free-kick but once he’s given it, we have to deal with it and to be fair to the Clapton player, a great strike, good goal.  Sometimes you have to put your hands up and say fair enough!”

Clapton continued to dictate play and by this point Bridon Ropes were simply struggling.

Quitirna whipped in an excellent cross in from the left towards the far post where the onrushing Daniel Ezeorji cracked his right-footed volley just over the bar when well placed to score at the far post

Briggs then played the ball into Quitirna’s feet, whose right-footed shot on the turn flashed just past the foot of the near post.

Ezeorji slotted his right-footed shot agonisingly wide of the post after he was put through on goal by Nyanja, before Clapton won it with a minute left.

Briggs was released down the left and he cut the ball back across goal which Campy failed to collect low down and Sinclair steered his shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

Lisney admitted: “Last ten minutes was very ragged.  Players were playing very much out of position mainly to give the players who are very much part of my squad more minutes. It’s not ideal because they’re playing in places that they’re not going to be playing during the season but they’re having a run around the pitch and getting some fitness.

“It doesn’t surprise me they scored a goal, but I’m not bothered. I’m seriously not bothered.”

Lisney hopes to hastily arrange a midweek friendly next week ahead of their trip to last season’s runners-up, Lydd Town.

“We’re hoping to get a midweek game next week. I’m not saying we will but that’s our intentions at the moment.

“But even if our pre-season is over, all of our games have been against a higher standard of opposition. We’ve played four or five and have had some very promising moments. There’s been some moments where we’ve got a bit of work to do on the training ground.

“We’re pretty much started from a fresh. My main interest at the moment is getting a squad together for the 9^th August.  We are, I would say, 80% of the way there and with one or two additions that we haven’t secured yet, but we are very close to, I think we will be potentially a strong side.”

In all my time since watching non-league football back in 1989, I have never been subject to listening to political chanting at a game than I did at Clapton Football Club tonight by people supporting the home club.

Political views should not be voiced at a non-league football match, where chanting may upset players and supporters of either club.

Despite the chanting being heard all over the ground, Lisney refused to make a complaint.

He said: “I didn’t hear that to be totally honest with you.  I did hear they were very vocal. 

“I was concentrating on the game and I’m trying to get information across and I’m talking to players and encouraging players and just remind players what their responsibilities are on the pitch.

“I didn’t actually here that. I absolutely heard that they were vocal.”

When informed about the content of the chanting, Lisney replied: “I never heard that to be honest with you.  Politics is not really for a football interview in my view but I didn’t hear it. Even if I did hear it, I hear a lot of things day-in-day-out, I’m sure like everyone does and my own opinion is my own opinion on that sort of thing.”

Clapton: Sam Haywood, Jake Stevens, Luke Kanjor (Romeo Gbano 76), Kadeem Barnes, Bogdan Idu, Romeo Gbano (John Touroutsikas 12, Daniel Ezeorji 61), Frankie Sinclair (James Briggs 54), Kenneth Ajilore (Geoff Ocran 53), Warren Hughes (Leon Lewis 46), Fahad Njanja (Billy Baldry 61), Billy Wise (Eduardo Quitirna 50).

Goals: Fahad Nyanja 39, Eduardo Quitirna 53, James Briggs 76, Frankie Sinclair 89

Bridon Ropes: Jack Turner (Bertrand Campy 46), Ollie Hickman, Michael Johnson, Adam Smith (Billy Cooper 46), Charlie Hopwood, Sam Fullilove, George Maddocks (Nathaniel Edwards 63), Adam Saunders (Adam Smith 68, Adam Saunders 83), Chesney Onuoha (Mark Allen 83), Nick Dinnall (Francis Matondo 46), Mark Allen (Nick Dinnall 63).

Goals: Bogdan Idu 15 (own goal), George Maddocks 51, Chesney Onuoha 68

Attendance: 60
Referee: Mr Ari Mondonca (Poplar, London E14)
Assistants: Mr David Moreno (East Ham, London E6) & Mr Jamie Wood (Romford, Essex)